People
Governing: STCW Table A-II/2 'working knowledge of shipboard personnel management and training'; MLC 2006; MSN 1877 (M) Amendment 1.
Expectations
Most performance problems start with unclear expectations. A-II/2 wants crew allocated duties and informed of the expected standards of work and behaviour. In practice:
- a written role description for each position;
- department standards (how a cabin is turned down, how the tender is washed down, how the engine room log is kept);
- behaviour standards: timekeeping, alcohol policy, conduct ashore, social media, guest interaction;
- a proper familiarisation at joining, with a named person responsible.
Feedback
| Good feedback | Poor feedback |
|---|---|
| Specific: 'the stern line was made fast before the bow was ready' | Vague: 'mooring was sloppy' |
| Timely: at the debrief | Saved for the appraisal |
| About behaviour and effect | About personality |
| Private for criticism | Public humiliation |
| Balanced with what went well | Only the negatives |
Recognition matters as much as correction. A short 'well done' after a difficult berthing costs nothing.
When performance drops
Find the cause before choosing the remedy:
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Does not know how | Training |
| Knows how but lacks practice | Supervised practice |
| Unclear expectations | Clarify |
| Fatigue or workload | Fix the rota (check against MSN 1877) |
| Personal, health or welfare problem | Support; refer, privately |
| Poor motivation | Talk; look at recognition, prospects, fairness |
| The system (equipment, procedure) | Fix the system |
| Deliberate misconduct | Formal process |
The MCA guide's point about just culture applies: most failures are system or situation failures, and only a minority are deliberate.
The formal side
The Maritime Labour Convention gives seafarers a seafarers' employment agreement, hours of rest, and access to on-board and onshore complaint procedures without victimisation. On a yacht, formal disciplinary action and dismissal must follow the employment agreement, the company's procedures and the flag's rules. As a head of department, you document, you involve the captain early, and you are consistent: the same standard for the favourite and the difficult one.
Appraisals
A structured review at the end of a contract or season: what went well, what to improve, training needs, career aims. It should hold no surprises; if something is new to the crew member at appraisal, the feedback was not given at the time.
Conflict
Small crews in close quarters generate friction. Deal with it early, separately and then together if needed, focused on behaviour and work, not personality. Know when to involve the captain.
WARNING — Hours of rest are a management tool A crew member breaching rest limits is not a performance problem, it is a planning one. Fix the rota before you manage the person.
CAUTION — Records Keep short, factual notes of performance conversations, dated. If formal action follows, they will be needed; if it does not, they cost nothing.